- Date
- January 4, 2003, 20:47 local (Jan 5, 2003, 02:47 UTC)
- Place
- Ada, MN
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N37221Cessna 310R
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030104000199A
- Case key
- 56313
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain the minimum descent altitude and his failure to maintain obstacle clearance. A low ceiling was a factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane impacted trees and terrain during a non-precision instrument approach to land in instrument meteorological conditions, which had variable ceilings below published minimums based upon the closest weather reporting station 27 nautical miles southwest of the airport. The pilot stated he was engrossed in maintaining airspeed, and the passenger reported the pilot was too busy looking for the runway. The pilot further reported the accident could have been avoided if he had landed at his alternate airport.
Factual narrative
On January 4, 2003, at 2047 central standard time, a Cessna 310R, N37221, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed on impact with trees and terrain during a GPS approach to runway 33 at Norman County Ada-Twin Valley Airport (D00), Ada, Minnesota. Night instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating on an instrument rules flight plan. The pilot received serious injuries, the right front seat passenger was uninjured, and the rear seat pilot rated passenger received minor injuries. The flight originated from Black Hills-Clyde Ice Field Airport, Spearfish, South Dakota, at 1730 mountain standard time.
The pilot reported the aircraft entered icing conditions. The pilot indicated he was "engrossed in maintaining blue line airspeed."
The passenger occupying the rear seat, who was a certified airframe and powerplant mechanic, reported the anti-icing boots along the leading edges of the wings were working. The passenger further stated the pilot was, "too busy looking for the runway." The passenger reported observing the altitude of the aircraft as 1,000-1,300 feet above sea level prior to impact with terrain. The passenger further noted he "was getting ready to say something to the pilot prior to impacting."
The weather observation facility at Fargo, North Dakota, 27 nautical miles southwest of the accident site reported the weather at 2053 as: winds 320 degrees at 10 knots, 6 statute miles visibility in mist, overcast ceiling at 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL), temperature -3 degrees Celsius (C), dew point -4 degrees C, altimeter 29.98 inches of mercury, ceiling variable from 500 feet AGL to 1300 feet AGL.
The pilot reported that this accident could have been avoided if he had landed at his alternate airport, Hector International Airport, Fargo, North Dakota.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N37221
- Reported as
- Cessna 310R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 310R0961
- Airframe hours
- 3,100
- Engines
- Continental TSTO520EB, 300 horsepower, reciprocatingContinental TSIO-520-EB, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 6, 2002 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- SPF · Spearfish, SD
- Destination
- D00 · Ada, MN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- D00 · Twin Valley Airport, runway 33, 3,103 × 60 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 970 total · 336 in this make and model · 811 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 320° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- FAR, 27 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 30, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.